THE sperm whale has been hunted with a persistence that has endangered existence of its kind. Factory-ship whaling has been banned, but it is estimated that these giants of the sea are still taken at the rate of about one every half hour. Why?

A large sperm whale yields several tons of sperm oil and spermaceti—a white waxy substance. Both of these substances are very valuable and bring wealth to the whalers.

Nevertheless, under pressure from conservationists, all countries, except Russia ...

OCTOBER 5:

Today my life began. My parents do not know it yet, but it is I already. And I am to be a girl. I shall have blond hair and blue eyes. Just about everything is settled though, even the fact that I shall love flowers.

OCTOBER 19:

Some say that I am not a real person yet, that only my mother exists. But I am a real person, just as a small crumb of bread is yet truly bread. My mother is. And I am.

OCTOBER 23:

My mouth is just beginning to open now. Just think, in a year or so I s...

When insects detect anything like sugar they react as many people—they start to eat! But the plant Ajugara remota foils this urge to eat by its own special chemical compound, ajugarin-1. It blocks the insect’s receptor sites and eliminates its desire to munch on Ajugara remota. This chemical is just one of many anti-feedant compounds found among many members of the plant world. Some anti-feedants repel a broad range of insects; others spoil the appetites of only a single species. All are ...

When onions are sliced, an organic compound of sulphur is given off. Dissolved in water, it becomes sulphuric acid. So when this compound of sulphur gets into your eyes and dissolves in the moisture there, you have sulphuric acid produced. The old folk prescription for avoiding this: slice your onions under water. Then the acid is manufactured in the water, not your eyes.

Dr. Richard Blakemore was surveying sediments in a dish and noticed that bacteria in one sample gathered at one side of the dish. He rotated the dish. The bacteria swam back to the same area—the north side of the dish. He placed a small magnet on the south side of the dish. The bacteria collected there. Wherever he moved the magnet, there the bacteria gathered.

Dr. Richard Frankel of MIT joined Dr. Blakemore, and together they discovered by chemical analysis that these bacteria contained 1...

WHEN you are accustomed to traveling always by car, going on foot can be a newfound pleasure. Wheels may get you there sooner, but for the sheer pleasure of travel, what can beat your feet?—when in good condition. Only on foot can you fully enjoy the earth. The beauty of the majestic hills, the fragrance of the delightful forest and the songs of birds are most enjoyed when you are walking.

However, your feet do more than make you self-mobile. They respond automatically to your senses, and ...

God-given instinct is the moving force. A limited amount of intelligence also comes into play. If they are to survive, the young need to be taught how to get food; they also need to learn to recognize danger and know how to cope with it. Animal parents do not give reasons to their young or explain why and how to do things. But they do teach by example, and they may inflict pain to help youngsters to stay in line. A closer look at some of these animals will fascinate you.

. A she-bear ma...